One Week Before Departure. Ottawa, May 9, 2023

 Hello All;  It has been a busy time with all the minute details that needed to be completed for this trip, and tending to other work, like helping friends move, setting up new furniture, and so on. I will be doing some driving on my Thai family's farm, so I was required to get my International Driving License. My Ontario License was up for renewal, and it took five weeks to get that returned to me...yesterday. I went and got the International immediately. 

I did not state in my last posting, but I had an interesting experience when I booked my hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. Since my first trip around the world in 2012, I have used a hotel booking firm called...Booking.com. One advantage here is that one can make changes without problems up to about 24 hours before arrival in most instances. This is great when we have to book far in advance, and always subject to flight changes, etc. On that first trip of 124 days, I stayed in units booked with this company for 120 nights. With my extensive travel, I now have around 700 nights booked with this company. Not long after, my first trip all the way around, they advised me that I was now a "Genius level 1, with 5 percent discounts at most hotels". When I was looking for seven nights in Hanoi, my screen lit up, announcing a deal for me, "our Genius level 3". They offered me the Hanoi Siva Luxury Hotel...five plus stars, for just over 300 Canadian dollars.....reduced for me by 2700 Dollars. Loyalty Pays. There will be a limo waiting for us at the Hanoi airport.

As I have noted before , my Thai friends have a large farm not far from the Mekong river, and close to Vientiane Laos. I will be driving the farm truck, and doing some driver instructions while at the farm for five days. 

We have decided that after returning to Thailand on June 9, we will spend the rest of my time with my friends down at Pattaya, a two hour drive south of Bangkok. This is where the Orphanage I sometimes work at is located. I will visit, but not work there as I did not get a Work Visa. Too much red tape, and over 60 U.S. dollars...to do volunteer work!. This is because of many neighboring country visitors come and work, taking jobs away from the locals.

I plan on doing regular updates while away, and the first should be from Udon Thani where I will end up after arriving at Bangkok, then flying another hour north on 18 May.

Take care